Carbureter.



Patented June 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS E. S. SMITH.

CARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17. 1914.

PatentedJune 1, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. 8. SMITH.

CARBURETER. APPLICATION FILED APR-17.1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

Patented. June 1 "M CL S S E N H W nrrnij rains rarer orrion.

ELMER S. SMITH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSTQNOR TO FLOAT-JET GARBURETOR (30., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GARBUR-ETER.

miners.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June i, n.

Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial No. 832,514.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER S. SMITH, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carburetors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates, generally, to improvements in apparatus for carbureting air for internal combustion engines; and the present invention relates, more particularly, to a novel and simple construction of apparatus for drawing the mixture or fuel charges directly from the main supply tank containing the liquid fuel.

The invention has for its principal object to provide an apparatus located within the main fuel supply tank, by means of which the fuel is drawn directly from the main supply tank and mixed with air, said apparatus being supported by a float upon the surface of the fuel within the tank, and being connected with delivery or conveying means for conducting the gaseous fuel to I the intake valves of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide in combination with the main carbureting apparatus, means for throttling and controlling the gas delivered thereby, and means for modifying the mixture of air and fuel forming said gas by the addition thereto of more or less air through auxiliary air passages, and at the same time to provide means which serves both to further mix the fuel and air as it passes to the engine l/Vith the. various objects of the present' invention in View, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel construction accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the main fuel supply tank provided with the novel carbureting apparatus made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention, the latter being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, drawn on an enlarged scale, of throttling and controlling means of the delivery or conveying means for conducting the gaseous fuel to the engine cylinders. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of said throttling and controlling means; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on line H in said Fig. 2 looking downward; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the same taken on line 5 5 in said Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow w, the internal parts of the mechanism being illustrated in elevation; Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of the throttling tubes provided with the control ports from which'the carbureted fuel is discharged; and Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the inner of the two throttling tubes. Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section of the carbureting apparatus which is connected with and mounted within the main fuel supply'tank, the same being drawn onan enlarged scale; and Fig. 9 is a bottom View of the same. Fig. 10 is a detail vertical section of a slightly modified means of supporting said carbureting apparatus within the main fuel supply tank; and Fig. 11 is a detail horizontal section of the same, taken on line 1111 in said Fig. 10,looking downward. Fig. 12 is a detail cross section of the intake jet of said carbureting apparatus, illustrating in connection therewith a screen or 'mesh covering forexcluding from the passage thereof any dirt or foreign material which may be contained in the liquid fuel stored in said main fuel supply tank. Fig. 13 is a detail horizontal section of the air inlet end of the casing of said controlling and throttling means, illustrating'a modified construction thereof.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views to illustrate corresponding parts.

Referrin now to the said drawings the reference 0 aracter 1 is a main fuel supply tank in which the liquid fuel, such as gasolene, is stored ready to supply the needs of the internal combustion engine. The carbureting device arranged within said tank 1 comprises a U-shaped tubular member 2 with which is connected a jet-piece 3 extending downwardly or outwardly therefrom, said jet-piece having a discharge noz-. zle or jet 4 which projects into the interior space 5 of said U-shaped tubular member 2. Said nozzle or jet being exteriorly threaded as at 6 to screw into an interiorly thread neck 7 projecting from said U-shaped tubular-member 2. Said jet-piece 3 and its nozzle or jet 4 provides-a fuel intake passage 8 of comparatively small diameter. Connected by any suitable fastening means with the upper surface of said U-shaped tubular member 2 is a float 9, which may be a hollow metallic body, or may be of anyother suitable material, hollow or solid, which will serve to float said U-shaped tubular member 2 upon the surface of the liquid fuel contained in the tank 1, so that the jet-piece 3 is always maintained submerged sli htly below the surface of said liquid uel. shown in Fig. 12 the exteriorly projecting portion of said jet-piece 3 may be inclosed by a mesh-cap or screen 10, secured thereto in any suitable manner, and serving to .exclude from entrance through said fuel intake passage 8 of said jet-piece any dirt or foreign substance which may be contained in said liquid fuel or said tank 1 in which the latter is stored. Connected with the arm 11 of said U-shaped tubular member 2 is a vertically yieldable or flexible tubular member or pipe 12, the same providing an air inlet passage 13. The-said tubular member or pipe 12 is passed through the end wall of said tank 1,'and secured. thereto by means of a bushing 14, or any other suitable fastening means; said bushing 14 being also provided, if desired, with an air intake nozzle or member 15. In like manner, connected serving to couple with said tubular member or pipe 17 one end of a flexible gas conveying pipe 20. Since the said connecting tubular members or pipes 12 and 17 are vertically yieldable or flexible, it follows that while they serve to connect said U- shaped tubular member with the inlet and outlet provided in the tank wall, they do not impede the function of the said float 9 in supporting said U-shaped tubular-member and its jet-piece slightly submerged in the liquid fuel contained in the tank 1, no matter where the level of said liquid fuel in said tank shifts under any movement of the tank, or under the natural fall of level of the liquid due to the drawing oif of the same to supply the gaseous fuel for consumption in the engine. While Figs. 1, 8 and 9 of the drawings show the tubular members or pipes 12 and 17 constructed of flexible tubing and joined to the arms of said U-shaped tubular member 2, I do not wish to limit myself particularly to such a construction, since the result I seek, namely, to so connect the U- shaped tubular member so that it will rise and fall, as supported by the float 9, on the surface of the liquid fuel contained in the tank 1, may be accomplished by other means, such, for example, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings, in which construction the rigid arms 11 and 16 of said U- shaped tubular member 2 may be extended, and their free ends provided with the malemembers 21 of ball and socket joints which are properly and movably connected in the female members 22 of said ball and socket joints, both said male and female members 21 and 22 having mutually registering passages 23, and the shanks 24 of said female members 22 are passed through the end wall of said tank 1, and secured thereto by bushings 25, in the same manner as said flexible tubular-members or pipesabove described. It will be readily apparent that the ball and socket joints or connections will permit the free up and down movement of said U- shaped tubular member 2 as controlled by said float 9.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated therein the novel controlling and auxiliary carbureting mechanism forming apart of the novel carbureting apparatus made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention. This mechanismcomprises a casing 26 open throughout its length, and provided at one end with a flange 27, adapted tobe registered with and secured to the flange 28 of the free end of a manifold 29 leading to the cylinders of the internal combustion engine. Extending transversely through said casing 26 and journaled in bearing portions 30 and 30 provided in the sides of said casing is an outer throttling-tube 31, provided with a discharge port 32, the latter being preferably in the form of an elongated opening or comparatively narrow slot. Extending through, so as to be journaled to rotate against the inner sides of said outer throttling-tube 31, is an inner throttling-tube 33, the same having a throttling port 34 adapted to be registered with said discharge port 32 of said outer throttling-tube 3.1, said throttling-port 34 being preferably of triangular form so that as it is rotated in registration with said discharge port 32 it will open up a greater or less area of the latter to communication with the tubularpassage 35 of said inner throttling-tube 33 at the will of the operator. It will of course be understood, however, that the arrangement and shape of the respective ports 32 and 34 may be variously modified, so long as in operating the throttling-tubes a variable port area may be obtained. The free end of said bearing portion 30 is provided with an outwardly extendinginteriorly threaded portion 36 for receiving an elbow 37, or other union device, whereby the free end of said flexible gas conveying pipe 20 may be connected with said controlling and auxiliary carbureting device so as to deliver the gaseousfuel from the main carbureting apparatus in the tank to the interior or tubular-passage 35 of said inner throttling tube 33, which is open at its lower end. The upper end of said inner throttling-tube 33 being closed against the escape of the gaseous fuel therefrom by means of a suitable plug or closing member 38,

- suitably secured within the said upper end said disk or butterfly valve member upon said outer throttling tube, is a gauze-screen member 43 which extends around that portion of said outer throttling tube in which said discharge-port 32 is located so as to register over. or cover said discharge-port 32, thereby serving to guard said dischargeport 32 against the entrance of any chance back-fire therethrough which may emanate from the engine-cylinders and pass into the manifold 29, and at the same time serving to further .break-up or mix the constituents of the gaseous fuel discharged through said discharge-port 32 into the manifold 29 for delivery to the engine cylinders. The said outer throttling-tube 31 extends outwardly through said bearing-portion 30', so as to project exteriorly therefrom, and secured to said exteriorly projecting end of said outer throttling-tube 31 is a split-collar 44 from which extends an operating lever-arm 45, to the free end of which is pivotally connected a connecting-rod 46 through which the operating power for rotating said outer throttling-tube is transmitted. The closed end of saidinner throtthrough the split or bifurcated portion of said stop-post 49 is an adjustable stop-screw 50 against which said arm 48 is brought to rest to establish a normal position of said inner throttling-tube 33 for the purpose of fixing the normal position of said throttlingport 34 thereof.

A locking screw 51 is connected with the said stop-post 49 for the purpose of drawing together its split or bifurcated portions to cause the same to bind frictionally upon said adjustable stop-screw 50 to retain the same in the desired adjusted position. Also radiating from said split-collar 47 is another arm 52 to the free end .of which is connected one end of a pull spring 53, the opposite end of which is anchored upon the shank of said locking-screw 51, said pullstring tending to maintain and return said arm 48 in stopped contact with said stopscrew 50. A pull-wire 54, or other-equivalent device, is connected with the free end of said arm 48, whereby the same may be oscillated to rotate said inner throttlingtube 33 to shift the position of said throttling-port 34 formed therein, said pull-wire extending to the steering wheel or adjacent to the drivers seat, when said carbureting apparatus is serving the internal combustion engine of an automobile, motor-boat or other means of locomotion; In like manner a pull-wire 55, or its equivalent, is connected with the free end of said arm 52, whereby said arm 52 may also be used to rotate said inner throttling-tube 33 to shift the position of its throttling-port 34, said pull-wire extending to a point adjacent to the hand cranking means of the internal combustion engine with which the carbureting apparatus is used, so that certain manipulations of said controlling mechanism may be conveniently accomplished while cranking or starting the engine. Formed in the side of said casing 26 is an internally screw threaded opening 56, located in alinement with the edge of said butterfly valve member 40 when the latter is in its closed position, said opening 56 being slightly greater in diameter than the width of said valve member 40,

said opening 56 may be manipulated to,

regulate the amount of opening to increase or decrease to the desired degree the amount of air permitted to by-pass said closed valvemember 40. The reference character 58 indicates a transverse wall or lip extending across a portion of the air intake opening of said casing. 26, the same servin to retain any condensate of the gaseous e1 which may collect in the main passage 39 of said casing 26- against escape therefrom. The reference character 59 indicates a flanged cap-piece which registers over the air intake opening of said casing 26, butspaeed away from the same so as to provide ample air entrance spaces 60 around its marginal edges, said cap-piece being secured in place and by screws 61, or other suitable fastening means, adapted to connect with said lip or wall 58, and said cap-piece being spaced away from the open end of said casing 26 by the block 62 through which said fastening screws pass. Said cap-piece 59 serves to protect said open end of said casing 26 against the entrance of foreign substances therethrough, and when the casing is so fitted to the manifold of an internal combustion engine as to be positioned vertically, said cap-piece also serves to catch $161 retain any condensate of the carbureted Referring now to Fig. 13 of the drawings, I have illustrated a slightly modified construction ofthe air inlet end of the casing 26.- In this construction I provide a cap 63, threaded to screw on the end of said casing 26, or otherwise secured thereto, said cap having a central opening 64, in which is located a centrally disposed perforated bearing portion 65, supported by the radiating arms 66 connecting with the periphery of said opening 64. Formed on the outer surface of said cap 63 is a bridge-piece 67 having a centrally disposed opening. An inwardly movable valve-disk 68 registering on the inner side of said cap 63, normally closes said opening 64, said valve-disk 68 having an outwardly extending stem 69 slidably supported in said openings of the bearing portion 65 and said bridge-piece 67 'A spring member 7 0 bearing against a transverse-pin 71 extending through said stem 69, and against the outer surface of said bearin -portion 65, tends to maintain said valveisk 68 in closed relation to said opening 64, but yieldable to the influence of suction within said casing 26 to move away from said opening 64 so as to admit air through the latter and into the interior passage 39 of said casing 26.

Having now described the mechanical details of the construction of the novel carbureting apparatus, I will now'describe the operation and manner of using the same. Assuming that the internal combustion engine which the carburetinfgl apparatus serves is running, the gaseous e1 is drawn into the cylinders of the engine by the suction strokes of the pistons in the usual manner. The said suction strokes'of the piston in the engine creates a suction in the manifold 29, within the main passage 39 of the casing 26, and the ports of the respective throttling-tubes being so registered as to give the desired amount of opening and communication' with the interior passage 35 of said inner throttling tube 33, said suction is also set up in said passage 35,, and in said'conveying pipe 20 with which the passage 35 communicates. The pipe 20 being in communication with said gas outlet pipe or tubular member 17, the said suction is also operative in said U-shaped tubular member 2, and the air intake pipe or tubular member 12, which communicates with the atmosphere outside of the supply tank 1. The suction thus operating in the several passages above enumerated, draws through said air passage 13 of the tubular member 12 air from the atmosphere, which rushing through the passage of said U-shaped tubular member 2 passes the jet 4 and carries with it in the form of a spray the liquid gasolene which flows through the passage 8 of said jet 4, by reason of the fact that the outwardly projecting jet-piece, 3 through which the passage 8 extends, is maintained submerged in the main supply of gasolene contained in the tank 1 by the float 9. The spray of gasolene thus caught up by the inrushing air, is thoroughly mixed with the air, as the same passes through the gas outlet passage 18 of the tubular member 17, and through the pi e 20 communicating with the passage 35 0 said inner throttlingtube 33. Under the further influence of the suction created by the engine pistons, the gaseous fuel or admixture of gasolene and air in the form of an explosive or combustible vapor is sucked through the registered ports of the respective throttling-tubes, and thence passing through the gauze or screen 43, which further intermixes the elements of the gas or vapor, so that the same thereupon passing through the manifold 29 is delivered therefrom to the engine 0' linders through any of the well known a ission devices or valves, the compression and explosion of the charge of gas thus delivered to the cylinders following in the usual manner of internal combustion engine operations.

From the above described operations it will be apparent'that the present invention provides many advantages over the old and heretofore known carbureting devices, chief among which is the fact that the gasolene or liquid fuel is mixed with air directly at the source of supply in a verysimple and efiicient manner, which arrangement obviates the use of float-valves, auxiliary gaso-- I or heavy work demands.

lene reservoirs and needle-valves as a part of the carbureter construction, and which also eliminates the difficulties and disadvantages of both the gravity and pressure systems of supplying carbureters from. the main supply tank, since the novel carbureting devices of the present invention are,un der all conditions, always maintained in direct and constant communication with the fuel supply in the main supply tank until said fuel is in its closed position. The inner throt-.

tling-tube 33 being maintained in a normal position by the spring 53, which holds its oscillating arm 48 in contact with the stopscrew 50 as adjusted in the stop-post 49. The said stop-screw 50 being adjustable may be regulated to adjust the stopped position of said inner throttling-tube 33, so that the desired amount of opening of the normally registered ports 32 and 34 may be fixed. When an increased amount of gaseous fuel is desired together with an additional amqunt of air to be intermixed therewith, the connecting-rod 46 is pulled in the direction of the arrow a (shown in Fig. 3) thereby oscillating the arm 45 controlling the movement of said outer throttling-tube 31, which being rotated in the direction of said arrow a moves the discharge port 32 in relation to the throttling-port 34 so as to bring in registration with the former a Wider portion of the latter, thereb increasing the amount of total opening 0 the-combined ports, and consequently permitting an increased suction influence and the consequent increase in volume of the gaseous fuel discharged through said port openings into the manifold 29 for delivery to the engine cylinders, at the same time this rotation of the outer throttling-tube 31 turns simultaneously the butterfly valve member 40 to,

open the same and thereby permit an additional or auxiliary amount of air to be drawn through the passage 39 of the casing 26, which will be intermixed with the gaseous fuel being discharged through the port openings of said throttling tubes. Inthis manner increased fuel supply may be delivered to the engine cylinders for high speed If, however, it is desired to increase the amountor volume of the gaseousffuel, without adding thereto any additional or auxiliary air, thereby obtaining a gas of rich quality, or highly'impregnated with the fuel, the outer throttlingtube is maintained in its normal initial position, thus keeping closed the butterfly valve member 40'against the admittance of air through the passage 39, of the casing 26, then by operating the pull-wire 54 to oscillate the arm 48, the inner throttling tube 33 is rotated to expose in registration with said discharge-port 32 of said outer throttling-tube an increased proportion or amount of the throttling-port 34, thereby increasing the size ofthe discharge orifice formed by the registered ports 34 and 32, which results in an increase of the suction influence and the consequent increase in the volume of the gaseous fuel discharged into the manifold 29 for delivery to the engine cylinders without dilution by additional air, so that the full richness of the gaseous fuel is maintained.

Of course the alternate or selective methods of throttling, as above described, will be readily made use of by the operator according to the needs of or demands placed upon the internal combustion engine during the operation of the same. I

Another and very important advantage of my novel carbureting apparatus rests in the fact that in starting or cranking the engine served thereby it delivers to the engine cylinders a priming charge of fuel which is very rich, in fact much richer than will be delivered after the engine begins to run steadily under its own power. This result is by reason of the following conditions of the carbureter operation. Since the jet-piece 3 is always maintained submerged in the liquid fuel contained in the tank, it follows that, when the engine is dead, and the suction influence on the carbureting devices dormant, the liquid fuel, in tending to seek its normal level, will rise through the passage 8 of said jet-piece 3 and consequently a small volume of-liquid fuel will lodge in the U-shaped tubular member 2. Now when the engine is cranked and the consequent suction influence set up in the carbureting devices and interconnecting passages, this small portion of liquid fuel'will be drawn through the conveying pipe 20, and thence through the throttling-tube ports with only a minimum admixture of air therewith, such as is admitted through the by-pass opening of the casing 26, consequently an abnormally rich fuel charge is delivered to the engine cylinders constituting a priming charge. In order to permit the full volume of this priming charge to be delivered to engine cylinders, the pull-wire 55, WlllChfLS above described, extends to a point ad acent to the cranking mechanism of the engine, is pulled outward to oscillate said arm 52 and thereby.

rotate said inner throttling-tube 33 to register the throttling-port 34 with sa1d discharge-port 32 so as to provlde the largest or maximum port opening. The pull-wire 55 being released after the engine is running, so that the spring 53 may return said throttling-tube 33 and its port 34: to normal initial position. Of course, where a self-starter is used in connection with the engine, the throttle-tube 33 may be rotated at starting by means of the pull-wire 5 1 and arm 48 from the operators seat, thereby accomplishing the same result as immediately above described.

Another advantage of the rich priming charge delivered by the carbureting devices, is-that in passing through the delivery pipes 20 and controlling devices of the carbureter mechanism, it lines the same with a film of fuel, which when the subsequent normally mixed fuel charges are drawn therethrough, prevents loss of richness in the latter by any adhesion of the fuel particles to the dry sides of the conveying passages.

Another advantage of the novel controlling devices of my novel carbureter apparatus lies in the fact, that it is possible to shut off the supply of gaseous fuel entirely,

and at the same time admit air to theengine cylinders, the compression of which serves to check the engine from racing, in other words acting as a brake, and at the same time serving to cool the engine cylinders; thus when the engine is serving as the motive power of an automobile, and the automobile is traveling down grade, the fuel supply may be cut off, thereby economizing the same and preventing waste, and at the same time the braking function and cooling action of the air admitted to the cylinders of the engine is accomplished as above noted. This result is attained by pushing the connectingrod 46 in the direction of the arrow -b (shown. in Fig. 3 of the drawings) to oscillate the arm 45- and rotate the outer throttling-tube 31 in the direction of said arrow Z thereby carrying said discharge port 32 entirely out of registration with the throttling-port 34 of said inner throttlingtube 33 whereby the gas is entirely shut off, and at the same time this rotation of the outer throttling-tube opens said butterfly valve member 40 so that air is admitted through the passage 39 of the casing 26 to the manifold 29, and thence to the engine cylinders.

I am aware that some changes may be madel'n the general arrangements and combmatlons of the varrous devices and parts,

as well as in the details of the construction of the same without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined 1n the claims appended thereto. Hence, I do not limit my inventionto the" exact arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described in the said specificatron, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construtcion of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. A carbureter comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a floating hollow-member within said receptacle open at its opposite ends, a jet-piece provided with a restricted fuel passage connected with the side of said hollow member and communicating with the interior thereof, the outer end of said jetpiece being maintained submerged in the liquid fuel contained in said receptacle, means for connecting one open end of said hollow member with the atmosphere exterior of said receptacle, and means connected with the other open end of said hollow member providing a gas outlet leading through and out of said receptacle.

2. A carbureter comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a floating hollow member within said receptacle open at its opposite ends, a jet-piece provided with a restricted fuel passage connected with the side of said hollow member and communicating with the interior thereof, the outer end of said jet-piece being maintained submerged in the liquid fuel contained in said receptacle, yieldable air-conveying means for connecting one open end of said hollow member with the atmosphere exterior of said receptacle, yieldable gas-conveying means connected with the other open end of said hollow member providing a gas outlet leading through and out of said receptacle, said respective yieldable conveying means being adapted to permit the free unobstructed rise and fall of said floating hollow member within said receptacle.

3. A carbureter comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a U-shaped tubular member, a float connected with said U-shaped tubular member for supporting the same on the surface of said liquid fuel, a jet-piece havin a fuel-passage therethrough connected wlth said U-shaped member so as to be maintained submerged in said liquid-fuel, said jet-piece having a jet-portion extending into v the interior of said U-shaped tubular member, means for introducing air into one end of said U-shaped tubular member, and means connected with the other end of said U-shaped tubular member through which the gaseous fuel is discharged and carried through the body of said receptacle.

4. A carbureter comprising a receptacle for liquid fuel, a U-shaped tubular member, a float connected with said U-shaped tubular member for supporting the same on the surface of said liquid fuel, a jet-piece having a fuel-passage therethrough connected with said U-shaped member so as to be maintained submerged in said liquid fuel, said jet-plece having a jet-portion extendinginto the interior of said U-shaped tubular memthe free unobstructed rise and fall of said float and U-shaped tubular member connected therewith.

In testimony, that I claim the invention 15 set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of April, 1914.

,ELMER s. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. RICHARDS, FREDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL. 

